Chinese airline sparks row with ‘racist’ travel guide to London

British MPs have demanded an apology from the airline

Air China advised travellers to avoid areas populated by 'Indians, Pakistanis and black people' (AFP)

A Chinese airline has caused outrage after warning travellers to avoid visiting areas of London “populated by Indians, Pakistanis and black people”.

Air China, the country’s national airline, printed the advice in its inflight magazine Wings of China.

The guide also added: “We advise tourists not to go out alone at night, and females always to be accompanied by another person when travelling.”

The row began after Haze Fan, a Beijing-based producer for CNBC, spotted the advice while travelling to the UK with her fiancé who is from London.

She took a photograph of the text and posted it to Twitter asking Mayor of London Sadiq Khan what he thought of it.

Two Labour MPs for London constituencies with significant proportions of ethnic minority residents have urged the Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, to obtain an apology for their constituents.

Rosena Allin-Khan, the Labour MP for Tooting, which has one of the largest south Asian populations in London, said the advice was “outrageous”.

Speaking to the Evening Standard she said: “I think it is offensive to all Londoners, not just the ethnic minorities mentioned.

“I am going to be writing to the Chinese ambassador to invite him to visit Tooting in London, where all races live side by side. Then they can see how we live and our wonderfully diverse community.”

She added: “We pride ourselves on having a wonderfully diverse community and this may mean people come here with a different idea. It is worrying that some may arrive concerned.”

Virendra Sharma, the Labour MP for Ealing Southall in west London, where almost 40 per cent of the population is Asian, said the airline’s advice was “blatant racism”, and also invited Air China to visit the area.

He said: “I am shocked and appalled that even today some people would see it as acceptable to write such blatantly untrue and racist statements.

“I have raised this issue with the Chinese ambassador, and requested that he ensures an apology is swiftly forthcoming from Air China, and the magazine is removed from circulation immediately.

“I have invited representatives of Air China to visit my constituency of Ealing Southall to see that a very multicultural area is safe, and would be of great value for those visiting London to see.”

Air China has not yet commented on the matter.